Building a Family
by TheWonderingWizard
Summary: Nope, not gonna say much about it. It's so short that to put anything about it in a summary would basically spoil it. Pure Harmony fluff. Written in response to a prompt from Harmony&Co on Tumblr. Enjoy.


Building a Family: A Harry Potter Fanfiction Story

By: TheWonderingWizard

Summary: Nope, not gonna say much about it. It's so short that to put anything about it in a summary would basically spoil it. Pure Harmony fluff. Written in response to a prompt from Harmony&Co on Tumblr. Enjoy.

Rated: T

Writer's Disclaimer:

Sadly; I do not own the rights to either Harry Potter, nor to any other bit of the wonderfully magical world created in the mind of JK Rowling. I am merely a fan of this world, and have been for many years. I am happy that Miss Rowling allows her fans to paint our own works using her medium of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, so long as we do not seek to publish and earn a profit by it. For me, to have other fans enjoy my treatments would be more valuable than a pile of Galleons in a private vault at Gringotts. I present the following work as a fan, without any desire for monetary gain. I mean no copyright infringement in this work. If you find yourself liking my work, please let me know in either a review here or as a private message. I do NOT tolerate "flamer reviews" written by anonymous "guest" users. If you have something to say, own up to it. I appreciate constructive criticism, because I feel that it is how I can grow my skills as a writer. Okay, enough rambling now. Allons-y

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Gryffindor Sixth Year Boys' Dormitory

Friday, 14 October, 1997 10:30pm

"What about you, Harry?" Neville Longbottom asked his roommate and friend. "There any of our classmates that have caught your eye? Like Parvati, or Daphne, or Hannah, or Susan?" Harry looked at the four faces near him, and tried to get a bead on what each was thinking. The five of them had been roommates since arriving at Hogwarts four years earlier, and there was not much they did know about one another. There was no denying it, the five of them were at a stage in their lives were dating became something of a priority. Neville was interested in Luna Lovegood or Susan Bones. He'd taken Ginny Weasley to the Yule Ball the previous year, but she'd decided not to pursue a relationship with him. Neville had been disappointed at this, but it did give him more time to work on his schoolwork. Dean Thomas looked right at Harry, and quirked an eyebrow at him. He was not currently seeing anyone, but seemed to be quite comfortable with that. He was one of the more reserved pupils in their year. Seamus, he was definitely interested in pursuing a relationship with someone. Who that was, Harry could not tell. Ron was an open book as far as who he found attractive and who he might fancy. Ron Weasley had recently told Harry that he was keen on "getting with" a number of witches in their year, including the one witch Harry saw himself having any chance with. That he did not have a chance with three quarters of them was outside his limited powers of comprehension. Harry thought of his list of all the reasons why that was an unbelievably bad idea just then. "Aw, c'mon, Harry! Ye can tell us! It's just the boys!" Seamus said, waggling his eyebrows. Harry gave them all a thoughtful smile, and said "I dunno, guys. There is someone, but I'm not sure if they'd want to be with me."

Ron gave him a look that said he didn't quite believe him. "What about that Seeker from Ravenclaw? Cho Chang? She's certainly a looker, pretty smart, fantastic Quidditch player" Ron was totally clueless in listing the attributes of the dark-haired witch from Hong Kong. The number one thing that he forgets is that Cho was going out with Cedric the previous year. Cedric was a great match for her, and he made her the happiest she'd ever been. Then, Wormtail had used the Killing Curse on Cedric in the graveyard outside the village of Little Hangleton. As a result, Hufflepuff had lost their Champion, a star pupil, and the best Seeker in more than a century. More than that, Cho had lost her boyfriend, and the man she was going to marry. Cedric had proposed to her three days before the Third Task of the Triwiz. Harry had seen and spoke to Cho a couple of times since that night in the graveyard. She was still in mourning over the loss she'd suffered. Harry thought about it a moment. The only things he and Cho had in common were Quidditch and doing well in school. So, even if she wasn't heartbroken; Harry knew she was not a good match for him. As usual, Ron was clueless about things that weren't quidditch, or food, or girls' physical attributes, or trying to outshine his brothers. Harry mentally groaned at this, trying hard to not yell at Ron. Harry had a feeling that there were not very many witches at Hogwarts who'd be interested in the gormless and gangly git anyway. Well, maybe Lavender Brown or someone like her. Lavender was certainly attractive, but not only from a physical point. Harry found her to be little more than a gossip, quite shallow and not at all interesting. Sure, she'd give any boy interested in her a good time. Harry was not interested in a witch for a good time, he was looking for the one witch to be his for all time.

The truth was, that Harry really did have feelings for one of the girls at school. She was smart, funny, caring, kind, and had stood by Harry when few others would. Hermione. Just thinking of her name made him smile. He felt a warmth that spread from his core to his crown when she was near. She encouraged Harry to do better in class and on his assignments, and his grades had never been better. When the school shunned him for being a Parselmouth and possibly the Heir of Slytherin, her loyalty to him did not waver a moment. She had spent countless hours with him the previous year, working out spells and techniques for surviving the Triwizard Tournament. Nearly the entire school had accused him of cheating his way into the tournament, which has completely untrue. Yet, Hermione had stuck by his side, even when his "best mate" Ron had not. Her smile was like a beacon of hope on a raging sea. When she laughed, it was genuine and musical. She would twirl a ringlet of her brown hair 'round her finger when taking notes in class or when reading in the library. She also bit her lip when deep in thought, and Harry found that to be very cute. Right now, she would still be on rounds as a Prefect. Harry found himself wondering when he'd be on rounds with his best friend, and took a quick glance in the calendar on his desk to check. From the looks of it, they would be on rounds together the following Wednesday night. He had an idea. He would ask her on a date then. He had been having dreams of his wedding, of raising a family, of having a life in a world without Voldemort. In each of these dreams, there was always the same woman by his side, and that was Hermione. He knew she was the one for him, but did she feel the same about him?

"Harry! You all right, mate?" Seamus Finnegan asked him. "Ye've been in yer own world for a bit now. We're just wonderin' what yer thinkin'." Just at that moment, Ron said how he was thinking of asking Hermione out. That sparked something in Harry. He looked at the redhead and said "I don't think that's such a good idea, Ron." This had Ron whipping his head around so fast that he almost gave himself whiplash. "Why not, Harry? You know I've fancied her for a couple of years. Why shouldn't I ask her out" was his response to Harry. "I don't think you're really compatible, mate." "Why not?" "You've got almost nothing in common, Ron. She doesn't like Quidditch, she's motivated to do well in school, she's compassionate, and she has the drive to succeed" was what Harry said, counting off on his fingers for each item of evidence. "Oh, right' you just want her for yourself, then. Figures, anyway. You're rich, smart, famous, and you get everything else in life."

"Everything!? Ron, you have a family! I do not. My family was destroyed when I was just a baby. I live with my Aunt and Uncle, but I'm more like their slave than their family. I would give up the money and fame in a heartbeat to have a family that cares about me like yours does for you. You've got your clothes laundered, three great meals a day, and love and affection. I have NONE of that. I have to do all the cooking, cleaning, gardening, washing, and I get scraps of food. You get hugs, I get belts to the back. You get to hear 'I love you' from your parents, I hear 'get away, freak'. I want to build a family someday, after we get rid of Voldemore. There is only one person in this bleeding castle that has been by my side, no matter what. Hermione is my everything, Ron. I don't have a family. Sirius and my parents are gone and are never coming back. Hermione isn't like my sister, Ron. She is the one person that I want to spend my life with, and build a family."

He heard a gasp behind him. He knew that sound. Turning, he saw Hermione in the doorway. "I just came up to see if you needed help with Runes, Harry. I'll be in the Common Room." "I'll be right there, 'Mione." After a few moments, he grabbed his Runes text and his homework, and went down to the Common Room. She was sitting at "her" table along the South wall of the tower, books spread everywhere. At the sound of his footsteps, she looked at him and stood up. "Harry, did you mean what you said just now?" She looked at him with her deep brown eyes, and bit her lower lip. "How much of that did you hear?" he asked. "Everything. I got back from rounds early. I heard Ron say he thought of asking me out, and then I heard what you said" she replied, her eyes cast down. "Oh. 'Mione, I apologise if I offended you or hurt you." "Harry, you still haven't answered my question. Did you mean what you said?" Hermione was looking at him again. Swallowing nervously, but gathering his courage, he replied "Yes. Every word of it."

Tears started to form in the corners of her eyes. Harry felt his heart drop, and his mouth was dry. Then, he looked up at Hermione. "Harry, I don't know what to say. I didn't think you felt like that about me. There is only one wizard in this castle that I want to be with. That's you. I was beginning to think you'd never feel about me in the same way I feel about you." Harry smiled broadly, his heart was back in it place. Hermione closed the gap between them, and wrapped her arms around him at the ribs. Harry encircled her waist with his hands, his little fingers at the top of her grey skirt. She looked up at him, and he knew what to do. Their heads moved closer together, and he took her lips in his own. The kiss was everything he imagined a first kiss should be; sweet, passionate, and expressing true feelings. Her lips moved against his in soft drinking motions, and he followed her lead. Hermione felt that her heart was near to burst. She was kissing Harry, and he was kissing her back! This was better than all possible imagining, better than any of her childhood fairytale books or adolescent daydreams. She reached up to run her fingers through his unruly black hair, and she felt his fingers running along the end of her brown tresses between her shoulders. This was a kiss like right from her favourite books, but better. As they kissed, a warm glow surrounded them. The orb of golden light was around them, but also of them. It was as though Magic herself was giving her blessing to the new couple.

From two different directions, two Weasleys saw their plans crumble into a million pieces. Their scheme to get at the Potter fame and fortune was torn to shreds from the moment Harry kissed Hermione. Ginny knew that now that "her" Harry found love with another, she would have to find another. Ron was crushed seeing Hermione wrapping her arms around Harry and running her hands up and down his back. She was supposed to be "his", according to Mrs Weasley. The love potions she'd brewed at Grimmauld were supposed to be foolproof. All Ron had to do was get them into whatever food or drink Hermione had. Then, it hit him like a rogue Bludger to the abdomen. He hadn't put the potions in the food and drink because Harry had found the supply. Ron had left it in the open in the room they shared at Grimmauld. How Ron had forgotten that, he did not know. All he did know was that his mum was going to be very upset.

EPILOGUE

Two hearts were joined that night. Two true Lions were united, ready to take on the gathering Darkness. Inseparable from that moment, Harry and Hermione became the couple at Hogwarts that other couples could only hope of being. They became Head Boy and Head Girl over the following summer before their last year at Hogwarts. That Christmas, Harry asked Hermione to marry him. Their wedding was at Saint James Church in Godric's Hollow, with a small gathering of friends and a few family members. After sitting their NEWT exams, they went on a mission to locate and destroy the Horcruxes made by Voldemort. Harry defeated Riddle in single combat, and that was the end of the Dark Lord.

The Potters took up residence at the old Black manor house in Grimmauld Place, and set about making it their home. The young couple had the rest of their lives in front of them, and it was in a world at peace. Now, they could build a family, and children. Hermione and Harry had their first child, a girl, ten months after the downfall of Voldemort. They decided her name was Lily Jean Potter, and she was a bushy-haired brunette with warm brown eyes. Their next child was James Sirius, born a year after his sister. A near clone of his father, James was not the last child the Potters had. Before Lily was three, Hermione had another Potter child in her womb. Daniel Potter had unruly brown hair and hazel eyes. A set of fraternal twins was next, a boy and a girl, Hannah Anne and Mason David. Minerva Marie was born when Lily had just turned seven, with Joseph Charles a year later. Harry and Hermione were the devoted parents that they knew they could be, raising their children with a foot in each world. The children all went to Muggle school until they got their letters from Hogwarts. They spent a week of each summer completing a homeschool curriculum, the time dilation chamber in their home making it possible to accomplish it. Hermione used her Hogwarts education to start her career in the Ministry of Magic. She campaigned for better treatment of magical creatures, and wrote legislation to that end She also saw the prosecution of suspected Death Eaters. The ones convicted of the worst crimes were tossed through the Veil, the others went to Azkaban for the rest of their lives. Once all the kids were at Hogwarts, Harry was hired as the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher by Headmistress McGonagall. He traveled to and from work daily via a Floo connection on either end. Harry had the family he'd wanted for so long, and he knew he wouldn't give it up for anything.


End file.
